Tyrone Shoelaces

We have the Phil Spector Xmas album on every year. I’m not a Beach Boys fan. They made some great records over the years but they aren’t for me. I feel the same about Stevie Wonder, Queen, Elton John, Bowie and many more.

I only saw the highlights from the last test but I saw several batsmen get out to what appeared to just be straight balls. I didn’t see many get out to balls that did un-playable things.

Maybe that’s League goals ? Not counting FA and League Cup.

Some people are really hard to please. We went to Boro the other day without Toth, Alebiosu, Wharton, Carter, Gudjohnsen, all of whom are first choice players when available. Baradji not fully match fit, Cantwell playing strapped up, Montgomery who’s handy to bring on off the bench, Forshaw and Kargbo who are again handy to bring off the bench. Who knows who else not fully fit We get the better of a 0-0 draw against a team sitting second in the league who have only lost one game at home all season. And the manager’s a shit head who needs firing apparently !

“ If they miss you hit the top of the off stump “. That’s always been a good line and length.

I knew some of that but I had to check up some details. Good job he didn’t ask what the dogs name was. I’m guessing “ Rover “.

I’m still waiting for the guys that were on here almost every day last season to come back on and give an update from the dingledome. . We all know who they are.

I don’t think he’s 100% fit but he’s turning out anyway.

Well - 1) Peter Dobing for sure. However the record books say the scorer was Alistair McCleod. 2) 104 goals. 3) Rovers v Man Utd in 1959. 4) Ronnie Cope and Bill Foulkes. The one just behind Dobing’s boot could be Wilf McGuinness when he had hair. 5) A little dog. 6) 39,621.

He’s got Cantwell probably playing as well as he has for a long time. Inspite of him being not 100% I reckon if we had more senior players back Cantwell would maybe be on the bench. That strapping isn’t just for keeping his leg warm.

Looks like John Charles when he was at Leeds the first time.

Say what you want about the manager but you can’t knock how he’s changed the mentality of the players. Every week we lose a key player, half the first team are missing, some look to be playing carrying injuries, some are being asked to play out of position etc. Yet every one is giving 100% for the shirt and they’re getting results we shouldn’t really be getting. Like yesterday, top goalscorer missing, best attacking threat away in Africa yet we go to the 2nd placed club in the league and arm wrestle a result. There’s no sign of players feeling sorry for themselves like we’ve seen from struggling Rovers teams in the past.

That’s a non starter then.

Hard to believe in this day and age isn’t it.

We need somebody who’s more like Gudjohnsen than Dykes. Somebody who’s more of a poacher than a grafter. We’ve got Ohashi to do the spadework. It’s a shame Gudjohnsen has got injured, they were looking to have formed a good partnership. It’s not easy making signings when we’re down to our last magic bean. Oh to have the money we wasted on Gallagher and Brererton again. That’d buy you a good player at this level even now. I wonder what Southampton would want for Alan Armstrong ?

Dyke’s a blunt instrument. Gudjohnsen has his faults but when it comes to converting chances into goals he’s pretty good. Not many would have put that cross at Preston away and made it look easy peasy.

A booking when I was playing ! Along with a - “ Next time sonny, you’re for first go at the bath water “.

Gudjohnsen and Dykes ? Two different types of strikers. They might be a good pair, one doing the donkey work and the other scoring the goals but we all know which one would be scoring the goals.

The clearest red card you’ll see all season. The ref’s eyes must be painted on.

Along with Keith Newton. They were before their time really, both were made for today’s football.

He looks handy. The new Jason Roberts ?

Players can get injured in training. Are we training too hard ?

Brian Bevan the Aussie Rugby League winger. He came out with every part of his body bandaged, he looked like a mummy, but when he got the ball nobody could catch him.

We never build on anything. The success stories will be sold in the summer to keep the lights on again. Then it’s start from scratch again.

He’s still the best centre half I’ve ever seen in the flesh. When the Rothmans Football Annual published their best British 11 Mike was in it at centre half for several years and that was at the tail end of his career. He had it all ability wise. For a tall guy he had incredible leap. Not many tall guys jump very well. I still think his best days were at Rovers, when he went to Spurs they reigned in his attacking instincts.